I hated running and could fake a cry with the best of them if it would help me avoid jogging in gym class or later in sports.
But I loved biking, and did a bunch of mountain bike races, including Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 in Hayward, Wisconsin. And while I have you, I’ll drop a reminder that I placed 1,500th out of 3,000 racers. Exactly in the middle and 1,499 places behind Greg Lemond.
I swam a little bit, too. My parent’s house was half a block away from the municipal pool in Beloit, Wisconsin and I spent loads of time hitting on girls and hiding boners in the shallow end. I love water, and while I was never a distance swimmer, I’ve always made time for a few laps at the local Y.
But running was a nemesis.
Frankly, it hurt. My ankles have always been fragile and anything more than a dash to first base or out to play shortstop was too much. In baseball we mainly ran sprints to loosen up and the teams I was on never overdid such tomfoolery.
Now, though, I realize that I missed the boat. A little bit of distance running would have made me a better athlete, especially late in the game when the legs go south. If I were ever a coach again, I would have to pull some hocus pocus out of my bag to convince the kids they need to run more.
Running is still hard. It still aches the most of the three sports, but it is without a doubt the reason I have started triathlons.
Once I erased the mental baggage of running, everything else fell into place. But I could have never done it without the Couch to 5K program. I always went too far too fast and quit.
If you hate running, but have a perverted desire to do it anyway, I suggest you take it very slow and follow a Couch to 5K program to the letter. No more. No less. Stay within yourself and let your muscles build naturally.
Without those seemingly inconsequential 60 second jogs back in January, Ironman Wisconsin never would have crossed my mind. Running can be a bitch, but in my triathlete world, it is the real work.
